Alex Yoong, driving the Lotus 72 prepared by Classic Team Lotus.
Takuma Sato
On the very rare occasion of two current Grand Prix drivers having their first taste of historic motor racing at the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, Jordan’s Takuma Sato and Minardi’s Alex Yoong agreed to provide a joint insight into the ex-works Lotus 49 and 72 they were respectively driving.
You can’t really compare F3 and F1 of today with these historic cars, but I liked using the gear box on the Lotus 49, and the suspension feels so different…I really enjoyed that. I am not sure how much I am learning here for next weekend’s Grand Prix, but it certainly is good fun. Because the Lotus 49 is a racing car designed only for going flat out, that is why I am going flat out! I was using 8000 rpm most of the time, and in the wet the wheels were spinning in 4th gear, so you can’t use the maximum revs. I thought the car was great, but it is hard to know a lot about it under the conditions at Monaco where it is oily and wet; however, it feels forgiving.
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